Virginia Resource Use Education Council

• Who is the Virginia Resource Use Education Council?
• Member Agencies
• A Business Plan for Environmental Education in the Commonwealth of Virginia
• Meeting Minutes
• Virginia Environmental Education Commission
• Resolution

Who is the VRUEC?

In 1952 Virginia's state and federal natural resource and education agencies, and colleges of education and resource management, came together as the Virginia Resource Use Education Council (VRUEC). For more than 50 years, the VRUEC has sponsored conservation courses for teachers and trained hundreds of community educators about Virginia's natural resources. Today, the VRUEC continues to embrace new ideas and projects to benefit the educators and students of Virginia. View the VRUEC by-laws and membership policy.

A subcommittee of the VRUEC is the Virginia Interagency Education Workgroup (VIEW). The Council's VIEW members are tasked with coordinating Virginia's Chesapeake Bay Education Implementation Plan. In addition to VRUEC members, VIEW includes representatives from:

• Virginia Science Educational Leadership Association
• Virginia Association of Science Teachers
• Chesapeake Bay Foundation
• Virginia Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom
• Representative teachers

VRUEC Member Agencies

Meeting Minutes/Agency Reports

• May 17, 2011, Virginia House Museum, Richmond
• January 5, 2011, Maymont
• May 27, 2010, Meadow Event Park
• June 4, 2009, Science Museum of Virginia, Richmond
• Spring 2009
• December 17, 2008, Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens, Richmond
• May 24, 2007, Virginia Museum of Natural History
• January 10, 2007, New Kent Convention Center
• Agency Reports 2006
• May 23, 2006, Library of Virginia
• January 30, 2006, Longwood University
• May 5, 2005, Library of Virginia
• January 19, 2005, Smithsonian Conservation and Research Center, Front Royal
• June 3, 2004, Wintergreen

Virginia Environmental Education Commission
The Virginia Environmental Education Commission (VEEC), a capable and talented group of citizens, is developing a business plan to strengthen environmental education in Virginia and support Virginia Naturally. View the business plan.

The Virginia Resource Use Education Council provides professional input to the VEEC. The Virginia Office of Environmental Education provides administrative support.

Executive Order #25: Establishing the Virginia Environmental Education Commission

View the Commission roster.

View the 2001 Report.

On August 23, 2001 the VEEAC delivered its REPORT of recommendations to former Governor Gilmore. View the history of environmental education in Virginia.

In 2000, to support of former Governer Gilmore's Virginia Naturally education initiative the council adopted the following resolution:

Resolution
Whereas:
The Virginia Resource-Use Education Council (VRUEC) was established in 1952 to promote a better understanding of conservation education throughout the Commonwealth; and

Whereas:
The VRUEC has a long standing record of coordinating the educational efforts of Virginia's resource agencies and educational institutions on behalf of the Commonwealth citizens; and

Whereas:
The VRUEC since 1955 has produced educational resources to inform Virginians of the importance of our Natural Resources; and

Whereas:
The VRUEC subscribes to the following principles:

• That the natural resources of the state and nation should be used wisely and with due consideration for the future;
• That the wise use of these resources should be the concern of government at the local, state, and national levels;
• That all people benefit from the natural resources of the state and nation: hence, they have citizenship responsibility in the safeguarding and judicious utilization of these resources; and,
• That all citizens, public or private groups, charged with the management of natural resources or education or both, have added responsibilities in promoting understanding of conservation needs problems and ways to resolve them.

Whereas:
The Honorable Governor James S. Gilmore has asked the VRUEC to:

• Coordinate the development and consistent delivery of environmental education programs in the Commonwealth of Virginia by linking current environmental education efforts to creative, innovative approaches;
• Nurture and promote alternative methods of reaching and educating our citizens from all sectors of the public; and,
• Promote sustained life-long learning and professional development based on Virginia's academic standards.

Let it be resolved that: The VRUEC fully supports and will spearhead Governor Gilmore's Virginia Naturally 2000 Initiative on this date, January 31, 2000.